Arrangements of heat exchangers in a motor vehicle are known as so-called cooling modules, that is to say as a pre-assembled structural unit, which is for example composed of a coolant cooler, a refrigerant condenser, a charge-air cooler and/or an oil cooler which are cooled at the secondary side by ambient air. The cooling module can also be connected to a so-called assembly carrier and expanded to form a front module which includes additional components such as the headlights of the vehicle. A problem with cooling modules of said type is the fastening of the heat exchangers to one another and with respect to a module carrier or assembly carrier. If the heat exchangers have collecting tanks composed of plastic, that is to say for example coolant coolers, it is possible for fastening elements to be injection-molded, from plastic, onto the water tanks in simple manner. In other heat exchangers which are composed entirely of metal parts, for example fully-aluminum heat exchangers, said favorable fastening possibilities do not exist, and it is in fact necessary for brackets to additionally be fastened to the fully-metal heat exchangers, for example by means of soldering, which is expensive.
DE 601 00 953 T2 (EP 1 319 579 B1) has disclosed a front module for motor vehicles which comprises a frame-shaped assembly carrier which holds individual cooling components such as a coolant cooler and a condenser. Here, both heat exchangers are in each case supported and held with respect to the assembly carrier at their lower sides by means of support disks, while said heat exchangers are connected to the assembly carrier at their upper sides by means of clip connections in the form of additional metal clamps. A disadvantage of the known fastening is that the heat exchangers must be adapted specifically to the selected type of fastening, that is to say they must be provided with specific retaining pins.
EP 1 413 501 A1 has disclosed a further front module for motor vehicles which has an assembly carrier which is embodied as an open frame and which is closed off at its upper side by means of a movable cross member, a so-called drawbridge. A coolant cooler and a condenser are held in the assembly carrier, which coolant cooler and condenser are fastened with respect to the assembly carrier at their lower and upper sides in each case by means of support plates. Here, mounting pins which are attached to the heat exchangers engage into bores of the support plates. A disadvantage of said type of fastening is likewise that the heat exchangers must be fitted with additional fastening elements, in this case mounting pins, which makes the production of said heat exchangers more expensive.
DE 297 12 351 U1 has disclosed an arrangement of heat exchangers in a motor vehicle, a cooling module, composed of a coolant cooler and a refrigerant condenser. The coolant cooler is produced mechanically, that is to say it has a collecting or water tank composed of plastic which is mechanically connected to a tube plate by means of a crimped connection. Latching and retaining elements are injection-molded onto the plastic water tank, which latching and retaining elements serve for the fastening of further cooling components. The condenser is produced as a fully-aluminum heat exchanger with collecting tubes and collectors composed of aluminum materials. Fastening lugs in the form of sheet aluminum parts are soldered on to the condenser, that is to say on to its collecting tank, which fastening lugs are connected and latched to the injection-molded latching connection of the plastic water tank. A disadvantage of said solution is the additional structural and production-related expenditure which is necessary for the attachment of the additional retaining lugs to the condenser.